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Fudgy and rich chocolate avocado brownies are replacing butter with heart-healthy fats! Try these healthy brownies for your next holiday party or a fun night with your family!
When I first heard about avocado brownies, I was skeptical. Green avocados mixed with chocolate made me think of something out of a Dr. Seuss book! Then I realized that replacing butter with these heart-healthy fats is a healthier option and pretty creative, to be honest.
Most of us have only had avocados in the most amazing dish ever created: guacamole! However, the uses for avocados are endless. They can be a sandwich spread, a creamy sauce for pasta or vegetables, or even topped with an egg in the oven. Now that the low-fat craze and misleading facts about fats are behind us (which is very sad for us dietitians to learn about), people are becoming more intrigued by these majestic, green beauties.
My Baking Adventures
I eat avocados almost every day, whether for breakfast with an egg scramble or later in the day with a salad. In dessert, however, this is a first! The kitchen is slowly becoming my second home as I share with you my cooking adventures. Baking? It is still a complete mystery to me and part of that is due to fear. For the upcoming New Year, I hope to explore more in the baking world and learn about the basics behind it. A family friend and successful chef for the online program at the Escoffier Culinary Academy, Tom Beckman, suggested How Baking Works, a book about the science and fundamentals of baking. And yes, I added this to my Christmas wish list!
Chocolate Brownies with Avocado Recipe:
There are so many varieties out there today. Of course, avocado, but there are also sweet potato, beets, and black beans sneaking into brownie batter (these will be my next brownie adventure!).
After exploring the internet, most recipes for avocado brownies used melted chocolate and up to a cup of sugar. I really wanted to cut down on the sugar since the chocolate chips were sweet enough, and in reality, we do not need so much sugar in our diets. One of the best recipes that I was inspired by was from the blog, Half Baked Harvest. The pictures are beautiful and the brownies look absolutely decadent!
I decreased the amount of granulated sugar by using all-natural maple syrup in addition to the recipe. If you prefer cake-like brownies, I would add in an extra egg. These brownies are fudgy and with less structure as I used only a ½ cup of flour.
These brownies can be gluten-free if you substitute almond flour for whole wheat flour. To make them vegan, use flax eggs for the whole eggs, and be cautious with the chocolate chips (make sure you use dark chocolate). I hope you enjoy these avocado brownies and good luck not eating the whole pan at once!
Other Brownie Recipes to Try:
Vegan and Gluten-Free Avocado Brownies
Brownies with Strawberry Topping
Chocolate Chip Chickpea Brownies
Other Avocado Recipes to Try:
Deliciously Rich Avocado Brownies
A simple and healthy recipe for avocado brownies replacing butter with heart-healthy fats! All made in a food processor or blender!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 medium, ripe avocados skin and pit removed (halve the avocado and scoop out with a spoon)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup raw granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ½ teaspoon salt or pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or cacao nibs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set aside a lightly greased 8 x 8 baking dish.
- In a food processor, or a high-powered blender, add the avocado, maple syrup, and sugar. Blend well. Then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well so that all of the ingredients are blended. Make sure to scrape the sides for any remnants.
- Gently add in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa and mix well.
- Turn off the processor and remove the blade. Stir in the chocolate chips using a spoon or spatula.
- Spread the batter into the pan evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until done. Test the middle of the batter with a knife or toothpick to make sure nothing sticks.
- Remove from heat and let cool before cutting into squares. Enjoy!
Rosebowl
Thank you for this recipe. I did an online search, and I am glad that I found this one posted. I added a handful of walnuts and some protein powder. It was amazing. I wish you well in health.
Thank you so much! Happy Holidays to you!
Gwen
I have to review this recipe because it was very disappointing. It tastes so bitter. Literally barf. I can not eat it. The texture was spongy. Not cooked long enough? Not sure. Yes, you taste the avocado, but I think there is too much cocoa powder verses sugar ratio. I used oat flour and didn’t put chocolate chips in the batter, only on the top. I think I could be better if it was full of chocolate chips?!
Gwen,
So sorry to hear that. I would have definitely used the chocolate chips in the batter to reduce the bitterness. The chocolate chips melt into the batter and make it more fudgy. You can definitely reduce the cocoa powder in the recipe and add more sugar. I always use less sugar in my baking and may not be sweet enough for most people. Thanks for your honest feedback and I will keep any eye on other's views of the recipe.
Best,
Katie
Juli Jacobs
What is the pan size???
8x8
Polyna
I have wanted for a long time to try avocados as a substitute for butter/oil in baked goods. Today I made these as the base for little brownie-cheesecakes (baked in mini panettone cups with a bit of chocolate and vanilla frosting piped on when cool) and they are SOOOOO rich and flavourful (and also look so professional)! The brownie batter is pretty much the same consistency as the cheesecake batter that I poured on top, so both layers finished baking at the same time. I am glad I didn't read the comments first since some people complained of bitterness, which my tasters and I did not detect one bit. It sounds from an internet search that could be due to under-ripe avocados and/or cooking too hot or too long? I actually used a 335 F baking temp instead of 350 F because I have a convection oven, for which it's recommended to drop the temp somewhat for cakes. Maybe some normal ovens also run hot? Anyway, they are perfect perfect perfect!!! Thank you.
Polyna, brownie cheesecakes sound amazing!! Thanks so much for trying and sharing!!
Vanya
To people finding the recipe turns out bitter- there’s a very strong possibility you’re using avocados that haven’t ripened fully. That would be the first thing to check if you try again. Unripened avocado is very bitter and no amount of extra sweeteners would help with that.
I will say that do taste the avocado in this recipe, but I don’t personally mind that. It’s also much too sweet for me as written, since I don’t eat a lot of refined sugar. (But you can’t write a recipe that’s to everyone’s tastes, of course). It does bake up nice and fudgy if the ingredients aren’t fiddled with and it isn’t over mixed. I served it with a few different optional toppings like coconut bits, warm spices, and chopped nuts that people chose from to suit their own tastes and it was a hit. Thank you!
Vanya,
Thanks so much For sharing these are excellent tips! I love the additional topping ideas!
A
Loved these! I made them for a school market day a couple of years ago, and just rediscovered the recipe. I added about 1 cup of raspberries (and had to bake them for an extra 20/30 mins, probably from the extra moisture). They were delicious - people almost didn't believe there was avocado in them. I'll be sure to check out some other recipes.
Amie,
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! The addition of raspberries sounds delicious!!
Katie
Amy
I made these today with a couple substitutions.. they were so easy and delicious!! No bitterness at all. I believe avocados may become bitter if they are overcooked.. so for others having that problem, maybe try a lower oven temp or baking them a few minutes less.
I used 3 small avocados (totalling 270g without pit/skin). If you don't mind a few green specs in your brownies and don't have a food processor like me, you can just finely mash the avocados before mixing in the rest of the ingredients. 🙂
Used around 3/4 cup erythritol instead of the maple syrup+granulated sugar for a low sugar option and switched out 1/3rd of the flour with chocolate whey protein powder. They still turned out so good!
I looked at other avocado brownie recipes, but they added in regular butter or nut butters. I wanted to use only avocados as the fat source so your recipe was perfect!! I'll def be making these again. 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!
Amy, thank you these are great suggestions and I’m so happy you enjoyed the brownies!
Rebecca
These are fabulous! I used 3/4 cup of white whole wheat flour, but no other changes. Moist, fudgy, and delicious! They will be gone in a flash. Thanks for the recipe.
So happy to hear it! Enjoy!
Ethan
I enjoyed these delicious and fudgy brownies with a big glass of milk! I also love that they are healthier than traditional brownies. Next time, I'm going to add a 1/4 cup more flour to give them a little more structure.
Hi Ethan,
So glad you enjoyed them! I appreciate your feedback and I will try more flour next time as well!
Theresa
So these taste AMAZING! Unfortunately though they turned out with the consistency of a light spongey cake, not the dense fudgey brownie I was hoping for. Any idea where I might have gone wrong?
Hi Theresa,
I truly appreciate your feedback. I’m not a baking expert and this recipe was trial and error for me. It could be from overmixing or too much liquid. Did you substitute the sugar? That can sometimes affect the moisture.
Best,
Katie
savannah
Absolutely fantastic brownies, I have sent this recipe to everyone and none of my friends or family can get enough of these rich, decadent, fudgy, molten chocolate lave cake-esque brownie!!! FANTASTIC, you are so talented and this recipe is beyond perfect, thank you so so much, Chocolately teeth smiles from Canada!!!!
Savannah,
You just made my day! Thank you for the kind words. So glad you enjoyed them! Happy new year!
Katie Of One Hungry Bunny
James
Added some melted dark chocolate (replaced the maple syrup) and a small amount of ripe banana, came out delicious! Thank you for the recipe
Sounds like wonderful substitutions, James! Thank you!
Rosie Tucker
These are delicious!
Do you have the macros please? Mainly interested in sugar per 100g and cals.
Becca
I made these, and while they did taste good, I did run into some problems. When I took them out of the oven, they had a very funky smell. They didn’t smell brownie-like at all, and was much more on the bitter side (scent wise of course). Is this normal, or did I just do something wrong? Also, when I baked them for 30 minutes, they were still pretty under baked, and I had to bake them for 10 more minutes (though granted that could have just been my old, not-that-great oven). Anyways, these brownies still did taste really good, and I will probably make them again, it’s just the smell is a bit off putting.
Lorilei Beer
I also had to bake them nearly 50 minutes. They came out a bit spongy and with a bitter aftertaste. I thought it might be the baking soda. Any ideas?
Lorilei, sorry to hear they didn’t turn out right. Let me look into this for you. It could be the baking soda. I can email you back 😉
Lorilei,
I tried without the baking soda and didn’t have a bitter taste. I used baking powder and added 5 extra minutes of baking. See if that helps.
Best,
Katie
Lorilei Beer
Thanks, Katie! Will try. Best, L
Anonymous
This is now my go to recipe. The only ingredients i altered was by using all purpose flour and i mixed maple syrup with raw honey. They were done in 25 minutes, not bitter, spongy not heavy. Thanks for sharing.
You are very welcome and great substitutions as well!
Akhila
I made these today and they are delicious! My daughter loved it and said it doesn't taste 'healthy' at all! haha. I made a few minor changes based on what ingredients I had at home. I used multi-grain flour and a mix of honey and maple syrup. I didn't have any chocolate chips so I chopped up a couple of pieces of a regular chocolate bar and mixed them in. They were done in 20 minutes flat. Will definitely make them again!
Akhila,
I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed them! Great improvising too!
Katie
Harshada
Deliciously moist and chocolatey!
So happy to hear it! Thank you!
Mikki
This is the best recipe ever!!!! I’m never going back to using butter again! The brownies turned out very fudgy! Thank you so much!
Mikki,
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! The avocados give a great texture!
Katie
Moira
Oh my these were delicious! Thank you so much! My son ate them and didn't even guess there was avocado lol. Will definitely make again as I always seem to have overripe avocados left over. I used coconut sugar instead of regular sugar because that's what I had and these were so good.
Moira,
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed them! Great choice with coconut sugar as a substitute!
Katie
Cyndi
Same thing happened with mine. They were really bitter. Maybe I did something wrong
So sorry to hear, Cyndi. I prefer less sweet. Maybe add more sweetness next time. Let me know if that helps!
Katie
Jenna
These were delicious! Great recipe when you have too many ripe avocados at once! Even tricked my picky younger brother, he rated them a 8/10 and would hardly believe they had avocados in them after I told him.
I subbed all purpose flour for wheat flower just because it's what I had on hand, but i love that this recipe doesn't require me to buy a bunch of specific ingredients that I'll only use one time!
Nice cakey texture fresh out of the oven, and a chewy cakey texture the next day. I will be making a double batch next time for sure !!
Jenna,
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the brownies! Great substitutions! Stay safe and be well 😊
Lisa
Yum! I made these tonight using just plain white flour & granulated sugar because it's what I had on hand. I just had 2 avocados I needed to use up! Came out great!
Lisa,
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for the positive feedback!
Katie of One Hungry Bunny
Pam
Can I use just regular syrup?
Hi Pam,
What type of syrup? I prefer maple syrup instead of granulated sugar, if it’s the same liquid amount that would be fine. The sweetness level is up to you. I am a less sweet gal. Let me know how it works out!
Katie of One Hungry Bunny
susan coen
Perfect! This is my new go-to for treats to take to the office. Such an easy luxurious chocolate treat with the justification of healthy avocado and local maple syrup.
So glad you enjoyed it! Happy to hear about the local maple syrup included!
Caroline
I can't use wheat flour, I can use spelt and organic wheat if that makes sense to some people. But I tried using garbanzo bean flour as main substitute extra additional flour and I found cookies harder and brownies turning in hockey pucks. Not good method but I figured I need something sweet potatoes or something else to make so consistency works I don't know I think avocados might not be good idea for me sweet potato idea might work as well, lower sugar usage. 1/2 to 1/4 cup, I trying to get my father try to new things that just so sweet and tasty, flavor complexities as well, its hard but better going to store and buying rich over the top getting high on those items. Anything like avocado I prefer add to salsa if only we had limes dang it.
Amber
This recipe is fantastic! I was a little skeptic at first just from reading the comments. However, these brownies did not taste bitter at all. Thanks for sharing!
Amber, I’m so happy to hear it! Some may find it slightly bitter because I try to use less sugar content in my recipes. Enjoy!
Katie of One Hungry Bunny
Kerry
Looking to try these for our weekly lunchboxes, how long do the brownies last without freezing?
Hi Kerry!
Great question! I would keep them in an airtight container for no more than a week. Some even say 3-4 days. Personally, I kept mine in the refrigerator because I wasn’t sure how it would go with the avocado in the batter. Hope that helps!
Anonymous
Tastes like slightly bitter chocolate avocados, strangely enough.
Sorry to hear that about the bitter taste.
Vera Mascarenhas
I was extremely excited about baking and then devouring these but they turned out incredibly bitter. The after-taste is really revoltingly bitter and it breaks my heart to have to throw the whole pan out 😖 Not the fault of the recipe surely if no one else has had a misfortune like this. But there are several posts online mentioning that cooked avocados turn bitter. Sob! Sob! Sob!
Vera,
I’m so sorry to hear this. I haven’t heard about the bitter taste and I will look into this. Thanks for your feedback!
Katie of One Hungry Bunny
Kristen Kemp
Just took these out of the oven for the first time and my house smells AMAZING!! I did some subs, too. 1.5 avocados, used ground up raisins instead of sugar, half maple half honey as the is what I had, added 1.5 teaspoons of espresso powder, and finally added some ground up toasted almonds with the chocolate chips. They are cooling now and will be tried as soon as possible!
Kristen,
I’m so happy to hear this and hope they turned out tasty! The addition of espresso powder is genius! ~Bunny
Cici
This is my new go to brownie recipe when I have too many avocados ready to eat at the same time. I replace maple syrup with equal amounts of raw honey. I use all purpose flour because it’s on hand. Raw cane sugar and cook them an extra 10-15 minutes (keep an eye on them). They are delicious!!! I love them and I use the small hass avocado about 1 cup gently smashed.
Ciara,
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Great idea for the ingredient swaps!
Katie of One Hungry Bunny
Bonna
Made these for a bible study group this evening. Had been wanting to try avocado in brownies. I used 1/2 honey and 1/2 maple syrup because I am not much of a syrup fan. I wonder if these could be made with almond flour and possibly reducing sugar with stevia? Anyway, they were a hit. Thanks. Will make these again
Hi Bonna how did the brownies turn out with the almond flour? Sorry for the delay I was out of the country for two weeks. Enjoy! Katie
J
Was excited about this recipe, but they didn’t turn out for me 🙁 They seemed to stay raw, even though I baked them for an extra 30 minutes...not sure what happened.
Hi J,
So sorry to hear that. The brownies definitely come out very fudgy with the avocado included. Thanks for your feedback and I will look into this for future recipes!
Best,
Katie of One Hungry Bunny
Ashl8ly
Amazing! Making a second batch today
Sharan
For the serving do u mean one brownie or all 8. Btw these r sooooooooooo good
Hi Sharan,
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! It is for each brownie. If you were to divide the batter into 12 servings it would be 140 calories. The 8 servings are larger brownies 😉
Anonymous
It’s Really good! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe:)
I’m so glad! Thank you!
Stacey Cummins
This so yummy, fudgy. I gave some to my husband and daughter, then after told them what was in it! They were surprised. Then it was a healthy version...but still both raved about it! Thanks Katie for the recipe!
For someone who loves sweets, esp chocolate this will be my go too!
Stacey, thank you so much for sharing! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed them!
Robin
Do you happen to know how many calories are in the brownies?
Robin, thank you so much for reaching out! I just updated this post with a nutrition label. If you make the brownies into 8 servings it will provide 211 calories, 6g protein. Hope this helps!
Katie/Bunny
Michelle
Added some gingerbread spice, left out chocolate chips, and used half almond meal half flour.
My sugar-addicted brother absolutely LOVED these - took him forever to believe me they were made with avocado!
Thank you!
Michelle,
So wonderful to hear, thank you! What a great idea using ginger spice for this time of year. I will have to try almond meal in my baking. Did you have to adjust with baking powder or soda?
Emma
Absolutely delicious and it was so much fun telling people it was Avocado Brownies. Big hit at Christmas Party
Emma, I am so happy to hear it! Happy holidays to you!
Myles Carpenter
Can these be frozen???
Hi Myles,
Great question! I have had readers try them after freezing them and did not hear anything negative. You want to make sure the avocado isn't overripe for this recipe or you will get a bad taste. Here is an article I found that may be more helpful. Since the texture is not an issue in my brownie recipe, they should be ok. Thanks for asking! Katie of One Hungry Bunny . Article here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/freezing-avocados_n_1864437
Aula
I made this and I loved the fact that I can feed my toddler avocado in a hidden way. Tastes really good, avocados must be ripe.. you may still feel the avocados taste but it didn’t bother. Excellent healthy brownie option!!
Aula,
I am so glad it worked out! Such a great idea for toddlers! I completely agree that the avocado must be ripe. If overripe it will have a bad taste. Thank you and best of luck with your little one!